CARLISLE CITY 2 WHITLEY BAY 3
Saturday 12th October
Match report by Julian Tyley
Whitley returned victorious from Cumbria after a thoroughly entertaining game that swung first one way then the other.
Torrential rain around lunchtime gave way to sunny skies and a blustery wind before kick off with the home side having the elements in their favour during the first half.
Following the victory over Crook seven days earlier, Jay Bates made two enforced changes to his starting eleven. Dan Gladstone and Mikel Thompson were both unavailable so Richie Crawford was in goal while there was a debut for striker Alfa Djalo, signed on a dual registration with Hebburn Town.
Carlisle created the first opportunity when a ball was played in from the left and Keiron Blair’s volley crashed off the post before being put behind for a corner.
Whitley responded well with some neat passing football and might have gone ahead inside the eighth minute, when Mackenzie Sharpe crossed the ball into the six yard box where Kyle Cockburn’s attempt was blocked by the leg of a defender and when the ball bounced up, Kanda’s goalbound header was pushed wide by keeper Scott Simons.
Carlisle’s relief was short lived however, as the corner that followed reached Djalo at the back of the 18 yard box and when he drove a low shot back into the goalmouth, Simons could only push the ball out as far as Kanda who fired it straight back past the keeper into the net to put Whitley ahead with his first goal for the club.
The lead lasted only six minutes as the home side battled back and a ball played down the left side of the box was glanced home by Jordan Irving, getting between two defenders to leave Crawford helpless.
Whitley were keeping the ball down well as they played into the wind and Djalo was looking a threat down the right wing, while City used long balls downfield to try and catch out the Bay defence.
A deliberate block on the lively Djalo by Bowman, earned the Carlisle man a caution but the free kick that followed came to nothing.
Both sides were struggling to create clear chances on goal with defences largely on top despite good approach work. For Whitley, Cockburn saw a cross deflected into the keeper’s hands while Djalo sent an effort narrowly wide shortly before the interval.
Early in the second half, Whitley had a fortunate escape when a back pass by Forster was short and a Carlisle man nipped in, taking the ball past Crawford but could not find the target from a narrow angle and the ball ended up in the side netting.
Two minutes later Carlisle manager Dan Kirkup was shown a red card and sent from the dugout for delaying the restart after the ball had gone out of play.
This setback for the hosts did not deter them and barely three minutes later they took the lead. It came when a long ball was played forward and just over the head of Josh Stewart. Irving was quick to pounce, racing onto the ball and flicking it wide of the onrushing Crawford.
Behind for the first time in the game, Whitley reacted positively and Mackenzie Sharpe’s shot from the left edge of the box was fingertipped wide by Simons.
The corner that followed from the right was headed behind for another flag kick on the opposite side. This time, the ball was played towards the front of the six yard box where Forster came in and looped a header just under the bar beyond the reach of Simons.
Back on level terms, the momentum appeared to be with Whitley again but a controversial decision just 60 seconds later left them stunned while even the Carlisle players looked bemused when Kanda was shown a red card for a challenge that at worst appeared worthy of a caution.
Down to ten men for the final quarter of the game, the odds looked to be stacked against Whitley but they did not let their heads drop or lose their discipline.
Indeed they showed renewed determination, bolstered by the fresh legs of Matty Griggs and Ryan Higgins.
With nine minutes remaining, Sharpe swivelled on the left edge of the box and delivered a shot that was pushed past the far post by Simons.
Griggs played in the corner to the near post where George Brady came in unnoticed and rose above the City defence to power a header into the back of the net to put Whitley back in front for a second time.
It was a lead they were not prepared to relinquish despite the best efforts of the Cumbrians to rescue a point. The nearest they came was a shot that flew just over the bar while other attempts were defended stoutly.
At the other end, both Larmouth and Sharpe had shots kept out while Djalo was a constant threat, holding the ball up well then going on foraging runs towards the Carlisle goal.
It was an excellent outcome, especially being a man down for the final 25 minutes. An interesting statistic is that this was the identical score when the sides met last season in Carlisle.
Now with two home games to come, Whitley will be aiming to extend their winning run and climb further up the table.
WHITLEY BAY: Crawford, Brady, Christie(Higgins 71mins), Forster, Stewart, Scott, Djalo, Kanda, Sharpe (Wilson 90+4mins), Larmouth(Parker 90mins) Cockburn(Griggs 61mins)
Substitute not used: Parkinson
Referee: Joel Tilmouth
Attendance: 141
